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Animal profile

Fennec Fox

Vulpes zerda

MammaliaSand desert and semi-desert with stable dunesLeast Concern

Field profile

The fennec fox is the smallest canid, weighing about a kilogram, with ears disproportionately large for its body. It shelters in extensive sand burrows by day and forages at night. Its physiology is tuned to survive on very little free water.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2025-01-15

Fennec Fox

The fennec's ears are radiators, not just antennae

A fennec fox has the largest ears relative to body size of any canid. They sharpen its hearing for prey underground, but their main documented function is thermal: a large, thinly furred surface laced with blood vessels that dumps heat into the air.

Read with evidence →

Fennec Fox | Daily Animal Facts